Student Satisfaction as Depicted by Retention Rates in Universities.

The Study's Objective


The study's objective is to compare the transfer rates and graduation rates of various universities. The data and information collected serve as a gauge of how satisfied students are with their educational institutions.

Comparing Student Satisfaction


To gauge the degree of student satisfaction at these institutions, data on admission, total graduation rates, and transfer rates at LIU post campus and other colleges in the region are compared. Adelphi University, Hofstra University, Malloy College, and the New York Institute of Technology were among the institutions looked at.

Graduation Rates at LIU Post Campus


The six-year graduation rate for first-time students who began university studies in the year 2009 for private non-profit institutions is approximately 66% which is the average for national standards of graduation in the United States. It is far much higher than the overall graduation rates at LIU Post campus which has 46% ("College Navigator - LIU Post"). It implies that the University has to put more effort to increase its retention capacity of the students and rate of graduation for those that seek opportunity in LIU Post campus.

Graduation Rates Comparison


The graduation rate at LIU post campus is relatively lower compared to the other universities in the area. With an overall graduation rate of 46%, LIU Post campus is performing lower than the average. The only higher learning institution that is below LIU post is the New York Institute of Technology which had an overall graduation rate of 44% in the year 2016("College Navigator - LIU Post"). Malloy College had the highest overall graduation rate of 76% followed by SUNY Stony Brook University at 72%. Adelphi University came in third with a total graduation rate of 68%. Hofstra University was next with 64%. LIU Post campus came in fifth with the last being the New York Institute of Technology.

Transfer Rates


The national rates for transfers in universities in the United States are 33%; implying that a third of the students transfer from one college to another. Compared to LIU post campus transfer rates, it is clear that the campus has a higher transfer rate than the national average; a 7% gap is quite large. Therefore, LIU Post campus should devise strategies that will bring down the transfer rates.

Impact of Transfer Rates


Transfer rates from a particular University to other universities hurt the overall graduation rates of that University. Schools that had the highest total graduation rates also recorded the lowest transfer rates while the ones that had small overall graduation rates recorded high transfer rates. The LIU post campus had a transfer rate of 40% which was the ranked second after the New York University of Technology which recorded a transfer rate of 41%. SUNNY Stony Brook University had the least transfer rate at 19% with Adelphi having a transfer rate of 24%("College Navigator - LIU Post"). Hofstra University had a transfer rate of 27%. Malloy College declined to provide data regarding their transfer rates. However, observing the trend of others, it can be postulated that Malloy College had a transfer rate of less than 24% since it had the highest overall graduation rate in the year 2016.

Admission Rates


The rates of admission also vary across the Universities within New York. LIU Post campus recorded the highest admission rate in the year 2016("College Navigator - LIU Post"). It was able to admit 81% out of a total of six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four applicants. Malloy College had the second highest admission rates thus recording a 77% admission of the four thousand and thirty students who applied. New York Institute of Technology came in third with an admission rate of 73% of the approximately ten thousand applicants ("College Navigator - LIU Post"). Adelphi University recorded 70% rate of the eleven thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three applicants. Hofstra University had an admission rate at 62% of close to thirty thousand applicants. SUNNY Stony Brook had the lowest admission rate at 41% of a total of thirty-five thousand applicants.

Demand for Universities


After comparing the admission rates and the number of applicants, it is easy to predict the demand for various universities. For instance, the Harvard University which is the best university in the World had an admission rate of 5% of the approximately forty thousand students who applied for a slot. It thus implies that colleges with low admission rates but with a large number of applicants attract higher demand than those with high admission rates and small application numbers. Therefore, compared to the other schools in the area, LIU Post campus attracts the least interest from students who want to join the college while SUNNY Stony Brook University commands the highest.

Graduation Rate Trends


The trends for graduation rates in all the universities went up according to data taken for the six-year graduation rates. LIU post recorded a six percent increment from 40% to 46% in the graduation rates for six-year course students in two years ("College Navigator - LIU Post"); the classes enrolled in 2008 and 2010. SUNNY Stony Brook also recorded an increase in the graduation rate at the same category from 69% to 72% ("College Navigator - LIU Post"). Other universities also posted an increase in the graduation rates as the year’s progress.

Intervention Measures for Higher Graduation Rates


The improvement in graduation rates is attributed partly to the intervention measures initiated by the state of New York. In 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo together with his counterpart U.S senator Bernie Sanders unveiled a program that would ensure that students achieve their academic dreams. They scrapped college tuition fees for all students residing in New York and came from middle-class families ("The Official Website of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo"). The scholarship is known as the Excelsior scholarship and helps in alleviating the student debt position hence enabling them to complete their higher education ("The Official Website of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo"). The scholarship applies to all state universities in New York. The New York Tuition Free Degree program started by the governor is critical in ensuring that the students clear their education in time and minimizes drop-out cases due to debt owed to the varsities by students who are financially strained.

Improving Student Satisfaction


It is quite clear that the level of student satisfaction at LIU Post campus is wanting. From the statistics obtained from reliable resources, more effort is needed to ensure that graduation rates are improved to surpass the national average and that the transfer rates are below the national levels (Clewell, Beatriz C., and Myra S. Ficklen, 129). It is through determination and effort that the institutions will achieve their goal and keep the student satisfied.

Boosting Student Retention


The management should focus on academic advising, student participation, the cordial relationship between the staff and the students, and student support services to boost student retention at LIU Post campus. According to a survey conducted across universities, it established that many Universities do not perform proper orientation programs for the first-year students; their retention thus becomes difficult (Hanover Research, 6). LIU Post campus should capitalize on such areas to ensure that it boosts its overall retention capacity for the university students.

Improving the Website


Compared to the websites of Adelphi University and Hofstra University, the LIU website needs improvement to facilitate user-friendly navigation. Noticeably, Adelphi and Hofstra Universities had a calendar of student activities posted on the web. They also had information about the various clubs and organizations within the university. LIU Post campus had none. Investment in online services could help LIU Post campus attract more potential students and retain them (Will, Elizabeth M., and Coy Callison, 187). Eventually, the institution will meet the goals it has set.


Works Cited


“College Navigator – LIU Post.” Nces.Ed.Gov, 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Adelphi+University&s=all&id=192448.


“College Navigator – LIU Post.” Nces.Ed.Gov, 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Hofstra+University&s=all&id=192448.


“College Navigator – LIU Post.” Nces.Ed.Gov, 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=LIU+Post&s=all&id=192448.


“College Navigator – LIU Post.” Nces.Ed.Gov, 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=New+York+Institute+of+Technology&s=all&id=192448.


“College Navigator – LIU Post.” Nces.Ed.Gov, 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=SUNNY+Stony+Brook+Universty&s=all&id=192448.


Will, Elizabeth M., and Coy Callison. “Web Presence Of Universities: Is Higher Education Sending The Right Message Online?.” Public Relations Review, vol 32, no. 2, 2006, pp. 180-183. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.02.014.


Clewell, Beatriz C., and Myra S. Ficklen. “IMPROVING MINORITY RETENTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES.” ETS Research Report Series, vol 1986, no. 1, 1986, p. i-157. Wiley-Blackwell, doi:10.1002/j.2330-8516.1986.tb00172.x.


Hanover research. Strategies for improving Student retention. Hanover. Washington DC 20006. 2014


“The Official Website of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.” Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, 2017, http://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-presents-1st-proposal-2017-state-state-making-college-tution-free-new-york-s.

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